Update

Museum Park Board Members have been working to address neighborhood concerns including the US 59 encampment health and safety issues, transmission line relocations, and Holocaust Museum's construction and repayment arrangements for 1300 Calumet. In other news, Houston Southeast has approved funding for SWA (original design team for the Livable Centers Study) to provide a conceptual design for a pedestrian corridor as part of Our Museum Park LCS. Details of all these efforts and upcoming events are below.

Please note: MPNA members, including Sandy Stevens, Kim Mickelson, Kathleen O'Reilly, Greg Quintero, and Ruth Ann Skaff, hold seats on the Museum Park Super Neighborhood Council to represent residents while working cooperatively with all stakeholders including the Museum District, Hermann Park Conservancy, Miller Outdoor Theatre, businesses, and health and faith institutions. In this way we give residents a stronger voice with which to speak to the city.

July 13, 2017: Museum Park Super Neighborhood met with representatives of Houston Southeast, Midtown Management District, HPD, Precinct 7 Constables, and others to discuss health and safety concerns stemming from US 59 encampment. The focus of the meeting was to explore ways to coordinate efforts among the various law enforcement organizations to provide 24/7 patrols around the encampment. Please see notes from that meeting for additional details, HouSE.MPSN Meeting Notes. MPNA has worked closely with MPSN to achieve around-the- clock patrols near US 59, MPNA Request.

July 21, 2017: MPSN notified by the Planning Department of variance request being made by Holocaust Museum Houston. MPSN requested that Planning Commission hearing be postponed as required signage had not been posted, and requested meeting with HMH, Clayton Library, and CoH leadership to understand variance and other issues (see August 1). The variance hearing was deferred to August 24.

July 24, 2017: Health and Safety Ad Hoc Committee met to discuss ways to address encampment issues under US 59. Several action items emerged from the meeting: making independent petition available for signatures at the August MPNA meeting; setting dates to call council members and later appear before city council as a block of concerned citizens. Specific requests to the city including additional patrols, enforcement of drug laws, fencing of area beneath US 59, and additional lighting were proposed. Committee will reconvene to finalize plans and set timeline post Harvey.

July 25, 2017: MPNA was contacted by a concerned resident regarding relocation of Center Point high voltage transmission lines from current location behind homes to visible street location along Blodgett. MPNA negotiated a different, and less expensive option with CP, so lines will be raised, but remain in their currently less intrusive locations.

Please contact us if you see a sign, an activity, a development, or receive a notice that you are concerned about....neighborhoods have a say in how they develop. Together we can make a difference!

August 1, 2017: MPSN met with Holocaust Museum Houston design team to discuss construction and expansion of the Holocaust Museum and its interaction with the neighborhood. Please see notes, MPSN.HMH Meeting Notes, for details.

Of particular concern is the HMH agreement with the City of Houston regarding the abandonment of Calumet in 2009 and the payment terms approved by city council in 2016. MPSN/MPNA are asking the city to reconsider this agreement in order to align with Your Museum Park Livable Centers Study. Please see documents regarding these changes including MPNA letter of support.

August 16, 2017: MPSN representatives met with HouSE Management District Transportation committee to request funding for a conceptual design to be implemented by SWA for pedestrian corridor along Caroline and adjacent to Holocaust Museum Houston. HouSE and MPSN are working to propose alternatives to the current compensation effort approved by the City of Houston for the purchase of the 1300 block of Calumet. Transportation Committee and subsequently HouSE Board approved the request.

August 22, 2017: US District Court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the enforcement of City of Houston 'no camping' ordinance, in response to complaint filed by ACLU in May. Courts were closed by Harvey; we will continue to monitor and post updates. TRO

August 24: Planning Commission approved Holocaust Museum variance request with several changes to accommodate most of Museum Park concerns. The HMH repayment for Calumet, a different issue, is still under discussion.

September 10: Membership Committee will hold a meeting to make plans for member outreach. To join the committee email Barbara McGuffey at membership@museumparkna.org

October 3: National Night Out will be held 6:00-800 p.m. at Southmore@Crawford. This annual event will give you the opportunity to not only get to know your neighbors better, but also to thank Houston's first responders who have worked so tirelessly since the catastrophic flooding of Hurricane Harvey. Volunteers are needed to make this event a success. Please contact Cindy Woods at community@museumparkna.org